Adaptability

Production in space, of semiconductors for example, offers many advantages for companies. At the same time, high transport costs mean that careful consideration must be given to the production materials being transported. The use of Kalman filters enables (real-time) control from Earth, making space production a cost-efficient option. Machine learning could make it a viable approach even for highly complex production systems.

The growing demand for battery cells offers significant potential for the use of digital solutions in their manufacture, which in turn creates opportunities for added value through adaptive and flexible production systems. A key enabler is interoperable data exchange based on formalized data descriptions. Existing ontologies and information models remain too abstract for direct implementation. This paper presents a requirements analysis of data standards in battery cell manufacturing. A procedure for developing domain-specific standards based on OPC UA (Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture) is derived from the results.

Smooth logistics management is fundamental for companies to function effectively. This is challenged by actor- and organization-related barriers in production planning and management. The Berufliche Hochschule Hamburg fosters the skills that individuals need to overcome obstacles in digitalized working environments. This concept is presented in the following article.

Due to the higher customization of products to customer groups and needs, body-in-white manufacturing industries are facing higher variant assembly at the later stages of the production line, thus increasing production costs per unit. Flexible production processes that involve flexible material flows, non-rigid manufacturing sequences, and the automatic reconfiguration of tools are regarded as the pillars of a resilient production system. This article presents a conceptual solution for flexible Body-in-White sheet metal production with autonomous collaborative robotic systems to make product costs affordable for a higher competitive advantage.

Manufacturing companies incorporate reverse logistics as a building block of the circular economy for greater sustainability. Case studies show that this can result in strategic opportunities. This article summarizes an analysis of expert interviews on the increase in supply chain resilience attributed to reverse logistics. Potential benefits are highlighted, and companies are encouraged to examine the approach and implement innovative solutions. The result is a hypothesis-based value model that serves as an orientation aid for decision-makers.

Assembly is an important part of industrial production and is also characterized by a high proportion of manual work. Manufacturing companies have an intrinsic interest in increasing personnel productivity and preventing unit labor costs from rising. Many thus hope to gain economic benefits by implementing digitalization projects. The potential of digitalization in assembly must be exploited to achieve these goals.